Smith Mountain Lake June Fishing Report - Topwater or bottom baits? You choose

The weather is out of this world nice right now in south west Virginia. Lows in the 50-60’s each morning and highs in the mid 80’s is keeping the fishing exciting and fast paced. If you can get up early enough the topwater bite for both largemouth and smallmouth is fantastic and the stripers are almost everywhere. The water temperatures are going to jump up quick so getting out this month is key to having some good numbers and size for your catch. If topwater isn’t your thing than grab a shaky head, dropshot or carolina rig and drag bottom. Fish are moving out to their deeper summer spots and cutting them off on the points is the best way to catch them.

The stripped bass are all over the points on the lower end of the lake. Pick up a fluke, walking topwater or a popper and work it as fast as you can. If you’re lucky to have a boat to get out sit the boat off the ends of longer points near the dam and Witcher creek. The shoals around Craddock Creek are also great places to start. Once the sun is up grab a smaller swimbait like a 2.8 or 3.8 keitech on a dobyns 1/4oz head and go to town on them. These fish won’t move off the points as the bait is stuck there for now. Keep you rod ready for schoolers that decide to come up within a casting distance and hang on.

The largemouth are starting to be STACKED in the brush anywhere from 6-15 feet. Take the time to use your electronics on secondary points and find their stopping spots. A big worm is a great choice to get a bigger bite right now. 10”-13” worms are big but these monster largemouth can eat that easily. If the bigger bait is not your thing pick up a shaky head or a dropshot and target those same piles. If you are out early enough you can also throw a topwater over the shallow piles and get some big fish to commit. Secondly, there are still plenty of largemouth up super shallow eating bluegills that are spawning. Tossing around a prop bait or popper on the hard shad lines is a great choice if you can stay quite and sneaky. If you think your shallow…. go shallower. There are giant bass that will be in 6” of water right now waiting for their moment to nab a fat bluegill.

The smallmouth are super post spawn right now but are eating up like crazy. It’s hard to beat a 2.8 swimbait. These fish will chase down a bait from very far away right now. The lower end holds most of the smallmouth so take the time to point hop until you find some. The schools are around 3-8 fish together so don’t be looking for massive groups.

The bluegill are still in a full spawn and taking a kid out there is super easy to catch some. A bobber with a wax or nightcrawler worm is a 100% change at catching. Remember to put the bluegill back so they can do their business and keep the population up for our bass to eat.

Crappie are starting to be in the brush in deeper water. Small jigs or live bait are the go to.